Best From The First Half Of 2014

2014 has been another great year in music. We've seen legends release another terrific album while up and comers surprised us with new classics. Here's a few of the best (in no particular order) since January.

Beck Morning Phase

When Beck first released "Blue Moon", the first taste of his latest effort, we could tell it would have a California folk sound. It hearkens back to the days of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Jackson Browne, and the many other Laurel Canyon musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Deep and retrospective, this album will certainly end up at the top of many best of lists come December.

St. Vincent St. Vincent

Ms. Annie Clark, AKA St. Vincent, has been slowly training over the years. From her time in Polyphonic Spree to touring with Sufjan Stevens, she cultivated an eccentric sound when she went out on her own. Her first two albums turned a number of heads, but her third solo album brought her to the forefront of music today. She learned a number of lessons from her time with David Byrne and she made eccentric mainstream much like he did with Talking Heads. She can rock out with the best and proves she is one of the more skilled guitarists with songs like "Regret" and "Digital Witness".

War On Drugs Lost In The Dream

After touring in support of Slave Ambient, Adam Granduciel, founder and bandleader, went into a deep depression. The songs that come out of the loneliness he felt went on to form the album. He recorded it across the country and created a number of different versions along the way. All the work and second guessing lead to another top notch effort that sounds like Dire Straits meets Bruce Springsteen.

What do you feel deserves recognition so far in 2014? What upcoming releases are you excited for?